It was an enthralling contest that caught the attention of every fan that witnessed it, and for good reason given the battle between North’s Majak Daw and Sydney’s Aliir Aliir was something the game has never truly seen before.

The match-up was the talk of the Monday night football programs, all of which were in awe of the sheer talent and athleticism of the South Sudanese players.

“We saw an incredible battle, we saw Aliir Aliir against Majak Daw and that was absolutely sensational,” commentator Brian Taylor said on Talking Footy.

“These two were matched up deep, and it was hard to pick a winner out of it.

“We saw the elite end of athleticism, the South Sudanese connection was obvious, Aliir kicks the goal to win the game, Daw kicks four to keep North in the game.

“If you went to the footy you could not have asked for any more than to see that match-up.

“That was the absolute epitome of athleticism in our game.”

Those comments were echoed by AFL 360 co-hosts Gerard Whateley and Mark Robinson.

“As this game was unfolding, the cameras went to them because the ball kept going to them,” Robinson said.

“It was an amazing thing, it was bigger than sport and I’m not trying to make it any bigger than what it is, but the inspiration that these two South Sudanese boys can have on Sudanese communities will make young children look at this and say ‘You know what? I can play AFL as well’.

“The pure artistry of the way they went about it, the way they go for the ball seems effortless.”

Tactically, the decision by Brad Scott and his coaching staff to send Daw forward after playing much of the season as a defender has been praised, given North’s shortage of talls inside 50.

“With the focus on Brown so prevalent, it’s the perfect time to introduce Majak Daw,” Garry Lyon said on On The Couch.

Premiership coach Paul Roos believes having Daw in front of goals caused headaches for opposition defenders.

“You can’t ignore him, you can’t come off Majak Daw and cover ground,” Roos added.

“It was a great move because they (Daw and Allir) were both deep together, and it put some real doubt in the Swans defenders’ mind.

“He looked more natural, he was able to come at the ball, his timing was really good and he looked like a natural forward.

“It was as good as I’ve seen him play at the end of the ground.”

North legend Wayne Carey agreed.

“What I noticed is that he’s (Daw) knowing when to lead and he’s knowing when to hold,” Carey said on Talking Footy.

“His understanding of his forward craft has improved dramatically and I think by playing down back, you can learn that off other forwards.

“He’ll still play back, he’ll be a bit of a swingman, some back and some forward, but he was very good to watch.”